AUTOCAR AND THE £1.4M ASTON WORLD EXCLUSIVE

Autocar, one of the world’s most respected car magazine, this week became the first publication in the world to sample the ?£1.4 million Aston One-77 on the road and track.

During the ride, Autocar’s editor-in-chief Steve Cropley hit 196mph on Aston’s test track while being driven by Aston’s chief development driver Chris Porritt. The One-77 is super light thanks to extensive use of aluminium and carbon fibre, and is powered by a 700bhp 7.3-litre V12 engine.

“The Aston One-77 is a complete surprise to me, for its sheer single mindedness and its raw driver appeal,� said Cropley. “It is a driving challenge, never a pushover. My respect for squillionaires – or at least for 77 of them – has just gone up and I kind of wish I was one.�

Just 77 Aston One-77s will be built – and so far 65 have been delivered and just one right-hand drive car remains. Aston company principal Ulrich Bez has decreed that only potential customers can drive the car until they have all sold out.

Steve Cropley recounts the full experience in Autocar magazine, on sale Wednesday, February 22, with an exclusive video and pictures available on their website.

“To create a car closer to art than the automobile. That was the aim,� says Marek Reichman, Director of Design, Aston Martin.

“The One-77 is the culmination of this endeavour. A car sublime in every detail. Aston Martin has a rich heritage of craftsmanship; One-77 builds on this, seamlessly blending the highest calibre of contemporary engineering with the craft and beauty of the artisan’s work. It is the very essence of Aston Martin.

“One-77 fuses advanced technology with stunning design to create possibly the world’s most desirable automotive art form.�

The technical specs of the ASTON MARTIN One-77 are the following:

Engine

Front mid-mounted
7.3 litre naturally aspirated V12
Dry sump lubrication system
700bhp (710 PS, 522 kw)
750 Nm (553 lb ft)



Transmission

Rear mid-mounted
6 speed Automated Manual Transmission with Auto Shift Manual/
Select Shift Manual (ASM/SSM) electro-hydraulic control system



Body

Two door sports coupe with two seats
Left or right hand drive
Carbon fibre monocoque body structure
Hand crafted aluminium exterior body panels
Active aerodynamics with deployable rear spoiler




Suspension

Brakes


Front and rear, pushrod actuated, adaptive ride height suspension

Carbon Ceramic Matrix braking system
Dynamic Stability Control and traction control system


Autocar is the essential news, entertainment and reference magazine for committed car buyers and enthusiasts in many parts of the world.

It specialises in revealing the secrets of new cars, while its famous road tests – invented by the magazine in 1895 – are used by industry and consumers alike as the authoritative benchmark.

Autocar’s readers are recognised as the most influential in the UK. The knowledge they glean from the magazine and pass on leads to thousands of car purchases a year.

Autocar now has 16 editions worldwide, in countries including China, India, Italy, and Egypt. Its fast-growing website means Autocar now has nearly 2 million readers a month.


TS
12.02.2012
London - Cairo